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The announcement that Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles'
wedding date is to be changed from this Friday to Saturday came
after it became clear both Prime Minister Tony Blair and the
Archbishop of Canterbury wished to attend the Pope's funeral.

But Prince Charles's officials denied yesterday that pressure
from Downing Street had caused the postponement.

Even before the formal announcement by Clarence House, the
Prince's official London residence, which had been preceded by
denials the wedding date would change, diplomatic sources had made
it clear the British Prime Minister would be attending the Pope's
funeral instead of the royal wedding.

Prince Charles will now fly to Rome to represent the Queen at
the Pope's funeral on Friday. The wedding will take place on
Saturday morning.

Downing Street had told the British embassy in Rome that Mr
Blair would give precedence to the funeral of the Pope. British
officials spoke to the Vatican about the funeral arrangements - but
did not mention there was a possible clash with the nuptials.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, who was due to
bless the Prince's wedding in a service at St George's Chapel in
Windsor Castle on Friday, also wished to go to Rome.

Rumours were circulating in Westminster that Downing Street had
had to put pressure on the Prince to postpone the wedding. But Mr
Blair's official spokesman said: "I think Clarence House was very
well aware of the significance of the Pope's funeral ... The
decision was for them and them alone to reach. But the Prime
Minister is now very glad he is able to go to both events."

Prince Charles's press secretary, Paddy Harverson, said that Mr
Blair's decision to go to Rome had no bearing on the postponement
of the wedding. "There was no communication between No. 10 Downing
Street before or after."

The archbishop will be the first primate of the Church of
England ever to attend a papal funeral.

Britain's tabloids, still smarting from last week's bruising
encounter with Prince Charles during a photocall at the start of
his skiing holiday in Klosters, Switzerland had already been
circling on Monday. Assorted British MPs were also calling on the
royals to acknowledge proprieties.

Palace sources said the Prince had made the decision immediately
after his early return from Klosters on Monday, after a brief
consultation with Mrs Parker Bowles. The wedding could neither be
brought forward, nor postponed beyond the weekend because Windsor
Guildhall, where the civil ceremony will take place, is licensed
only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

It is remarkable, however, that the royal family should defer to
the Vatican in changing its plans, given the tense history between
them.

The wedding change will also clash with the Grand National race
- possibly to the dismay of the horse-loving Queen.